I used Echolink on a few occasions when I was using dial-up for the computer. However, since switching to a high speed ISP (Verizon) I haven't been able to get Echolink operational. Researching results indicated that I had to open certain "ports" on the computer and when I did and that failed I then learned I had to also to open "ports" on my router. Again, when that failed I was informed that I had to get Verizon to open "ports" on their servers for Echolink to work.

When I contacted Verizon, their tech(s) (more than one)..... had no idea what I was talking about!

Since then, Verizon in WV has be bought out by Frontier. Once again, I'm considering Echolink simply for something else to do. I am reluctant to get into this again because I have enough problems keeping my ham gear operational without loosing more hair trying to get Echolink to work.

With all of this said, I'd like to hear from anyone who uses Echolink and the Frontier telephone/ISP company.

I am also interested in hearing from anyone who has encountered this problem and has found solutions for it.

I have no experience with Frontier but I have worked with an ISP provider for many years, I agree with you tech - I have never heard of an ISP having to open ports.

There are 2 or possibly 3 things to check:- are the ports open on the router? I remember when I set up Echolink that there were specific help files for my particular brand of router. Did you find yours? Are both ports forwarded? Type is UDP not TCP?- Do you have a firewall? On both the router and your PC? If you have a firewall on the router then it must allow the port forwarding. Same for the firewall on your PC.

OK, back with another piece of information. Or two. I'm using a Linksys WRT-54G router and a Westell 2200 modem.

I previously "opened" ports 5198 and 5199 on the router but still couldn't get Echolink to work. I've found that the Westell 2200 also has to have these same ports "opened" and have researched the procedure for doing this.

However, typing the IP address, 192.168.1.254 into my browser window doesn't get me into the Westell modem menu where I can open these ports.

I can't find where I can call Bell South to get help with this.

After giving up on this project a year or so ago, I had forgotten that I had taken the router out of service and operated straight from the computer to the modem. So the modem has to be the snag that is keeping me from using Echolink.

This is where I stand at the moment. Can anyone suggest how I can get into the Westell 2200 modem menu to open these ports?

This will make your DSL modem behave like a modem instead of a router (technically a bridge, but that's another post). It will basically pass whatever comes into or out of your router without any internal processing. Your configuration now has 2 routers back to back, both NATting your connection. Any time you have incoming traffic, like Echolink, a web camera connection, or a home server, the routers aren't able to figure out what goes where. Bridge mode allows your Linksys to control the situation (and it will have a public IP address now). And if you ever plan on setting up remote station operation, you'll be 90% of the way there, you'll just need to set up a dynamic DNS account, since Verizon seems to change your IP address every few hours.

One note: dad's connection was using a Westel modem with built-in WiFi and it seemed to go back to router mode when the mood struck (power glitch, Internet glitch, etc). We ended up buying a dumbed down modem that doesn't seem to have that problem. If you find you have to re-do this every day or so, you might want to get a simpler modem, if there's one available.

PS: technically you could do everything with the Westel modem/router (keeping it in router mode) and eliminate the Linksys router. I'm assuming you have the Linksys for Wifi, which you could keep, just connect the Westel and the Linksys together on the LAN switch side instead of the Linksys WAN port. You would no longer be using the Linksys router section, just the internal switch and wifi bridge, so you'd need to shut down the DHCP server on the Linksys. I think the Linksys is a <i>slightly</i> better router though.

My router has a DMZ function and I must enable DMZ for the IP addressof the computer in use. For example if I open a DOS window andtype IPCONFIG and find that the computer's router-assignedIP address is 192.168.1.102 then in the router setup I mustturn DMZ on as well as enter that IP in the DMZ box. IP address notto be confussed with the ISP assigned address of the router. I need another cup ofBlack Silk so hope this makes sense.

All: Sorry for the delay in responding to posted suggestions. Have been "under the weather." I sounds like y'all know what you're talking about....now have to research to find out what that is. :-) It might take some time to get back with the results of my efforts but be assured that I will. Thanks all.

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/6323Read the above.Don't overlook the part where it says :"You must connect the Westell directly to the computer's NIC to make the necessary changes before you connect the router, because you will probably be unable to access the modem interface after you connect the router. The reason is that the modem interface is 192.168.1.254 which is a local IP. By default, most routers do not have the capability to route a local IP out of their WAN port (where your Westell is connected)"Good Luck73 Greg

Greg: You're right. Can't access the Westell 2200 through the router. Step two is to go from the computer straight to the modem and have a go at it, and try top open the ports that way.

This actually throws a snag into my plans though because I really want to use the laptop, through the router to the modem on Echolink. I'm hoping that once I open the ports on the modem I can then go through the router and modem to Echolink.

Firstly, I would not recommend bridge mode for your computer. The simple fact is that there are a lot of exploits out there that take advantage of any open ports on your computer by scanning them, and then using those to hack into your system.

If you are using a westell modem as a router, then you normally have to set up a trigger port on the router to open up when an incoming request is received. But even before you do that, you need to check the windows firewall. Some commercial firewall vendors don't turn the windows firewall off, and as a result, it blocks the ports you need to use.

I have run echolink with no issues out of my box with a westell modem in router mode. The quickest way to get back to that mode is to do a hard reset on your modem. In the long run, your data is safer.

It's been a long time since I last set up echolink, but I am going to go and download it again to see if I can get it working. If I do, I will come back here and post the steps for you.

73 DE KD4ZKWCurtis

I set up a trigger port on the westell modem in router mode that looks like this:

Afterwards, I was still having issues, until I ran another firewall router test from the bottom row on the tools menu. After it passed that test, the connection server came right up. Hope this fixes it for you. If you're running a router to your modem link, like you indicate, you should be able to do the same config on your router. ( Two boxes instead of one?) If so, then running in bridge mode is ok, because your router box acts like a westell would if you just had it directly connected to the dsl line. The other thing you need to look out for is double NAT.

Double NAT will mess up everything, because the router and the modem are both issuing non routable IPs for the system. The way to avoid that is by going to bridge mode for your router, and allowing your router to grab the net ip off of it. Then, you have to open the ports on your router, instead of the modem, in the same fashion. Again, configure it as a trigger port, and not a forwarded port, if you have the option. That way, the port is closed to incoming connections when it is not in use by echolink. Anyway, it's working here with bell in less than an hour.

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